My Experience in Obtaining a Card in SoCal

Your mileage may vary, but if you are looking to obtain a card for a recommendation this is the way to go:

Find a place that is going to be there if you need back up in case you get involved with law enforcement and your prescription comes into question.

I used Alternative Care Clinics in Temecula. It cost me $160 which includes a photo card. It is not an endorsement, but I chose them after a lengthy vetting process and asking around to other patients.

You are going in for a consultation with the doctor, they are not there to diagnose your ailment. They are there to recommend and alternative drug to treat your ailment. So you need to have a some sort of history with another doctor, and you need to provide those records to the doctor.

The reason for this is that there have been cases where a doctor has been called into court on a patient and questioned on how they came to the conclusion that this person needed a recommendation. The records provide that answer. I saw two people come into the clinic and get turned away because they did not bring any medical records.

Take all of your meds. Even the expired ones.

The doctor will call you in, talk to you about your medical history, and make no mistake, these doctors are not Berkley Stoner Hippy Doctors of the 60's and 70's...they will not put their medical license on the line for B.S.
They will tell you about the benefits and different delivery methods. They will then take blood pressure and explain the recommendation process and tell you where you should and should not smoke.

Then you go out to the receptionist who prints your card and recommendation and you are out the door....all legal.

I then made a trip out to Lake Forrest to my new favorite co-op and after a very short confirmation of my status, I went in the back, shopped for my medicine, and was out the door in 5 minutes.

So...have some records, and go get your meds....

(BTW My ailment is Chronic back pain from two blown out discs, insomnia from the meds, anxiety, and depression from the injury)

MMJ has almost completely replaced all of those meds.